[ad_1]
The cone was handed to her by an aide, who had already been holding it nervously for several minutes in the baking sun, leaving a melting almost inevitable.
Camilla laughed it all off as she met with Dame Judi, 83, at Queen Victoria’s former home, Osborne House, where the Oscar-winning actress filmed scenes for her hit movie Victoria And Abdul.
The pair enjoyed their ice creams on the private beach at the palatial former royal residence which was built in the 1840s by Camilla’s great-great-grandfather, the architect Thomas Cubitt who built the main facade of Buckingham Palace.
The Duchess later admitted that – aside from the ice cream – what she really wanted on such a hot day was a swim.
She said: “The temptation is great to have a quick dip like the Queen did.
“I just wish I could stay a bit longer and have a swim in the sea. Sadly, that’s not to be.”
After a private lunch at the house she went to Cowes in the afternoon.
After greeting hundreds of well-wishers on the waterfront, Camilla named a new high-speed passenger ferry, Red Jet 7.
She pressed a button to smash a bottle of champagne against the side of the £7million vessel and then toured the craft.
“It’s an engineering marvel,” she said after being briefed on the technology.
Introduced to mechanic Ben Candy, a youthful-looking 27-year-old, Camilla joked: “You look very young. You must have started off in your pram.”
Later at a reception at the Royal Yacht Squadron, where guests included Daily Express gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh, who has a house on the island, she made an impromptu speech.
She said: “Going to Osborne House is always such a treat as it was built by my great-great grandfather and I feel very fond of the place.
“To come and launch Red Jet 7 was very exciting, and it worked. Last time I launched a ship in Southampton I pressed the button and nothing happened, so I was very pleased today it ran like clockwork.”
[ad_2]
